Team Primo Eyes Molokai Hoe Title

Honolulu, HI (September 21, 2011) – In what is regarded as the most prestigious event in long-distance outrigger canoe paddling, Hawaii’s Team Primo is readying themselves for an event win over their Tahitian counterparts as they train like there’s no tomorrow for the 59h annual Molokai Hoe race, taking place on October 9.

For Hawaii’s Team Primo, composed of the state’s most adept paddlers, this year’s Molokai Hoe offers up a chance to bring the win back to the Hawaiian Islands. In the past, the Tahitian teams, frontlined by Team Shell Va’a, have held a stranglehold on the event as they’ve taken the highly coveted win five years in a row. Unlike Team Primo, the members of Shell Va’a are professional paddlers who are able to devote their entire lives to the sport. The members of Team Primo, on the other hand, hold down day jobs and sacrifice what free time they have to train.

“Whereas teams like Shell Va’a are able to train as professionals, Team Primo is composed of blue collar workers. They’re Hawaii’s team. They have regular jobs and love to paddle, but they don’t have big corporations behind them. They work for it themselves because they love it,” says paddling and Team Primo enthusiast Keoni Watson.

At last year’s Molokai Hoe, a member of Team Primo suffered an injury that resulted in the team finishing the grueling race a man short with only eight men in the hull. Through sheer grit and determination, Team Primo still managed to finish the event in fifth place. This year, they’re healthier than ever and are eagerly looking to bring the win back to the islands.

With their eyes and paddles trained on the podium, the members of Team Primo are pulling out all the stops to ensure that they finish the Molokai Hoe are leaving nothing to chance. Not only are there two new members to the roster, but the team has also enacted a shoulder-searing training regimen that has seen them post some extremely impressive wins.

“This paddling season, Team Primo has been looking really sharp. They’ve posted some really strong wins and times at the Duke Race and the Kailua Challenge,” says Watson, “and I think we’re looking really good for the Molokai Hoe.”

To boot, Primo’s mind-boggling race times have proved to be so impressive that their competition has petitioned race officials to have their outrigger weighed not once, but twice. Each time, the canoe weighed in right at a regulation 402 lbs. In a tongue-in-cheek reference to the requested weigh-ins, the members of Team Primo have emblazoned the number “402” on the sleeves of their race shirts.

Does Team Primo have what it takes to recapture the title from their Tahitian counterparts? We think so. Join us as we chant “Imua Primo! Bring it home” all the way to race day. To stay up to date with Team Primo, please go to PrimoBeer.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Primo:
Established in 1897, Primo truly is Hawai’i’s original beer. For more than a century, Primo has been part of the lifestyle and culture in Hawaii. Born and bred in the islands, we are proud to support our surrounding communities and the organizations that perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and environment. Primo means the best—the best waves, the best people, the best places to be. For more information about Primo beer, visit www.primobeer.com.